High school football: No. 14 Miami Central upsets No. 4 IMG Academy 20-14
By Staff Report
Aug 26, 2022, 6:30pm
Rockets become first Florida team to knock off Ascenders since 2013, who also lose back-to-back games for the first time in program history.
High school football powerhouse
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) notched a couple of firsts it won't be including in marketing material for prospective recruits.
On IMG's home field Friday night, No. 14
Miami Central became the third Florida school to beat the No. 4-ranked Ascenders in a regular season game since they took the program national in 2013, escaping with a 20-14 win.
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) beat IMG in a kickoff scrimmage back in 2015. They lost to Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) and Naples in 2013.
In the process, Central handed IMG its second consecutive loss following a season-ending setback to
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) last November, with back-to-back defeats also being a dubious first for the Ascenders.
Miami Central trailed 14-6 at halftime but outscored IMG Academy 14-0 in the final 24 minutes.
LaWayne McCoy came up with the biggest play of the night with a 34-yard pick-six to give the Rockets a 20-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
IMG's defense came up with a stop to get the ball back with just over a minute remaining but the Rockets intercepted a pass to seal the game.
Four-star defensive end
Rueben Bain made a huge impact, finishing the night with three sacks.
For IMG Academy, starting quarterback
Jayden Bradford was injured on the first play from scrimmage and did not return, giving way to sophomore
Ryan Downes.
Expect the Rockets to make a huge jump in next week's MaxPreps Top 25 rankings.
